Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dear ErinCooks: I have a chocolate chip cookie conundrum: try as I might I can’t get my cookies to the consistency I like. I am a fan of chewy chocolate chip cookies, not cakey or crunchy, just chewy. I think it must be a butter issue. Should I try margarine or shortening? Maybe it’s too much mixing? Or maybe timing? — Julia

Dear Julia: This is your lucky day! While I can’t honestly speak coherently to the science behind chewy, over cakey, over crispy chocolate chip cookies I do have a fabulous recipe to share with you. According to the recipe’s author, this particular cookie dough contains less butter than the standard recipe, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. So you’re right on track about butter having something to do with a cookie’s texture.

Please give this recipe a try and let me know what you think. It’s one of my favorites and right up there with the artichoke dip in the category of “super top secret.” I honestly can’t believe I’m telling you guys how to make all of my best recipes! On a side note The Got Milk? Cookie Book has excellent cookie recipes. The Peanut Butter cookies from that cookbook are some of my favorites too, and if you’re into crisp and crunchy, or thin and chewy, rather than thick and chewy, there’s a recipe inside for you.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Originally published in the Got Milk? Cookie Book by Peggy Cullen)
Makes 12 large cookies

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula and beat for a few more seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until absorbed. Combine the chocolate chunks and nuts into a small bowl and stir into the dough.

Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and drop them about 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets (Note: I use a silpat. I don’t have a lot of faith in leaving my baked goods ability to be removed from a pan up to chance). For perfectly uniform cookies, scoop the dough using a 1 1/2 inch diameter ice-cream scoop, leveling the dough off across the top before dropping onto the baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely (Note: I never bake my batches for more than 12 minutes. If you over bake the cookies they obviously wont be chewy).

Doubling: I should warn you all that I’ve never had very good luck when I double this recipe. Sometimes they come out really flat, sometimes they come out thin and chewy, and sometimes they’re just a big mess. Once in a while they come out like they’re supposed to, but not often. You’re better off making two complete batches of the smaller original recipe.

I don’t know if it’s true or not, but my mother always said that if you let the butter get runny or melted instead of just softened, your cookies will thin out and get crunchy. I might have to experiment!

Erin – When I was a kid I was very impatient — sort of like now, but more so. Anyway, I would always melt the butter in the microwave instead of waiting for it to soften and I spent most of my adolescent baking years turning out tray after tray of flat, crispy cookies (that I hated). So I think in this case your mother definitely knows best.

Carrie – Thanks for the link! I’m sticking to my recipe though 🙂 I’m a creature of habit.

Laura – I’ve never tried sour cream either. That’s an interesting thought. Chilling the dough will definitely help them to stay thicker — sometimes in my experience that makes them more cake like though, especially if you add extra flour. But I’d rather have a cakey cookie over a crispy cookie any day!

Lys – So what is involved in these Captain Morgan cookies? A cup of Rum? 😉

Grace – Thanks! You too can have half eaten cookies all over your kitchen if you go home and make a batch for yourself.

They look great! I’m also a chewy cookie fan. I’ve always relied on the old standby, the recipe off the back of the yellow bag of chocolate chips — but I may have to venture out and try this one. (The recipes are actually pretty similar – yes, I have it memorized!)

Erin, why do you make me print out all the recipes from your blog? I am making Allen’s paneer cheese now and now these cookies scream “bake me”. what am I supposed to do? 🙂 they look great! i love chewy cookies!

Im a 4th year mechanical engineering/ Material science engineering double major and I enjoy baking every once in a while when im craving a chocolate cheesecake or real (without quotes) homemade brownies (you know – Baker’s semi sweet chocolate, etc).

I learned from my next door neighbor who is, in my opinion, a master cookie baker, that if you want soft cookies just use ALL brown sugar; just double up on brown and skip the white. It has something to do with the molasses i believe. The cookies are slightly darker for obvious reasons.

I was under the impression that the white to brown sugar ratio had a lot to do with the height, spread and chewiness of the cookies. Alton Brown recommended increasing the brown sugar by 1/4 top 1/2 of the original measurement and decreasing the white by the same amount (8tbs brown/4 tbs white for this recipe)will result in taller, chewier cookies. I usually cream the butter and sugar with cool butter (rather than room temp) and add egg white and yolks separately to help the proteins coat the sugars. Good luck.

Hi, Erin!
I left a comment for these cookies back in April/08. I have made them several times since then, but today I came up with a variation that is worth sharing (for ginger lovers):
I followed the recipe exactly, but omitted the vanilla, added 1 teaspoon ground ginger (the dry type) AND 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger along with the chocolate chips. Wow!! They are addictive!!! You have to try them if you love ginger as much as we do.

Debora – Thank you so much for sharing the ginger infused recipe variation. It sounds phenomenal. I’ve never actually used crystallized ginger in any of my baking but I definitely want to test out your experimental cookies.

I was looking for a thicker, chewier cookie recipe and this looks perfect!

I hope you don’t mind, but I linked to this post in my last one – I was discussing changes to a cookie recipe I make, and how I would try this one out. I think I cut the sugar too much, will have to fatten them up!

Love your site! I check it often 🙂 I have made these cookies several times and they were a hit!! However, the last couple of times I have made them, they spread out more than they did when I first made the recipe. Any thoughts about why this is happening? Maybe I should chill the dough before baking?

Rebecca – Not sure really. I always cook them on the middle rack in my oven. Sometimes the size of the eggs you use can effect the recipe or perhaps your butter was a tad too soft. If the dough doesn’t seem stiff enough when you scoop it you should add more flour. You need stiff dough to make a thick cookie and yes, when in doubt chilling always helps 🙂

Just made these cookies!! SO YUMMY! I hand mixed them and took them out in 10 minutes. I made two batches, one on a greased pan (which came out slightly crunchy on the bottom) and one on a non-greased pan (which is still in the oven 🙂 ) This is way better than the premade stuff I usually get!

Erin,
Way too much time in my life has been spent in pursuit of the “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe – but I was determined never to give up! I was literally praying for inspiration while scanning the internet when I found your site – and this recipe. WOW! I could not believe how fabulous these were. Everything I’ve been looking for – so much flavor and no more flat cookies! My two daughters absolutely love them, and thank you for being an answer to our cookie prayers! Love your blog – and can’t wait to check out the rest of it…

I made these for the first time 1 week ago, and they were so good I made two batches. I often bake around the holidays and made a platter of goodies wrapped as Christmas gifts…I just made another batch tonight for another treat to bring someone.
I bake a lot, at one time I wanted to be a pastry chef..and so far these are the best choc chip cookies I have made yet! Thank you Thank you Thank you! 😉
PS. the next batch I will mix in some white choc chips.

Erin,
I made these when got home from work with my kids…and they were the best ones i have ever ever made!!!! great tips and my favorite part was that it wasn’t for 24cookies…just the right amount. 🙂
thanks!

Well, my quest for the perfect chocolate chip continues. I tried this recipe and the cookies turned out very cakey, they were like little cookie cakes. Not what I’m looking for at all! I think I will stick to 1/2 cup fat, but use 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter.

I made these cookies and took 1/2 to a friend. When I got home my kids had ate ALL of the other 1/2 and said they were the best CC cookies ever! Now I’m going to have to make more cause I didn’t get any ); I think I’ll do it while the kids are at school so I won’t have to share with them – LOL!

Sweet baby Jesus, I think a divine intervention may have just taken place in my kitchen. This recipe produced hands down THE BEST chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever baked. I will no longer spend countless hours on google, foodgawker, and/or tastespotting in search for a recipe – this is IT.

Just made these … AMAZING. They didn’t spread out, they stayed chewy so far!! I just wish it made more than 12 cookies!!! I am going to try doubling it and adding a little extra flour next time. 12 cookies just are not enough and I hate making separate batches. Thanks for the fantasitc cookie!!!

I just wanted to say that I had some vocational culinary schooling and the trick that makes my chocolate chip cookies not like little cakes. Try it and please, let me know if you like the texture. Start by adding one extra egg yolk for each single batch. Melt the butter until it’s about half all melted. At least, this is what works for me. For whatever reason, I cannot stand cake-like cookies. If I wanted a cake, I would bake one 🙂 It seems everyone has one thing in common, we all love grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. Whatever you do with the recipe, have tons of fun with it!

i just wanted to say that i doubled the cookies because i didnt see the part about doubling and they turned out horrible. So i was wondering if you could put the paragraph about doubling up higher before the ingredients so that next time someone reads it they know, if they wanna double it, not to. But id like to say that i made the cookies without doubling it and they were great!

As a commuting college student whose parents often are low on butter- I was super excited to try these! I’ve been trying to up my baking game, and I just pulled these out of the oven…THEY LOOK AWESOME. Love how thick they are! Can’t wait to taste them 🙂

I have been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for a couple years now, and I’ve found it!! So delicious and chewy as promised. Thanks a million for posting it. By the way, I refrigerated my dough overnight. Beyond happy with the results. Thanks again!!